Wolf Voices Ongoing Concerns About Greenway

Washington, D.C. (December 9, 2011) – In a letter today to Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th) expressed his continued frustration with the owners of the Dulles Greenway.

Wolf wrote that he is concerned area residents are unaware of the planned toll increase on January 1 and remains dumbfounded by the company’s refusal to even do a distance pricing study.

“It is my understanding that the company’s bond insurer won’t permit expenditures that will not increase revenues,” Wolf wrote. “How then is the Greenway able to make contributions to political campaigns? The Greenway even pays former VDOT Secretary Whit Clement to lobby members of the General Assembly.”

Wolf also is upset that the owners of the Greenway are pushing back on an effort to erect signs detailing the toll rates on area roads leading up to the Greenway.

“Why should a [Greenway] user have to visit a Web site to find out what the toll rate will be,” Wolf said. “This is simply unacceptable.”

Wolf has long been a vocal critic of the Greenway. He has repeatedly spoken out against toll increases on the road, regularly called for distance pricing and last year pushed for the creation of advisory committee on the Greenway that includes local officials and citizens. The panel was established earlier this year.

“I have spoken to Loudoun residents who say that they won’t even take the commuter buses because they cannot afford the Greenway tolls to access the commuter bus lots,” Wolf wrote. “I implore you to think about the effect this has on families taking their children to soccer practice, a piano lesson, or a doctor’s appointment. They are faced with the choice of providing less for their children or spending untold hours in congestion on surrounding roads. This is no choice at all.”

Wolf said he also has heard from local realtors who are concerned that escalating tolls on the Greenway will depress housing sales.

Comments

The Greenway is one of the most inexplicable boondoggles in the history of Northern Va. The fact that they were able to build a private road where there should have been a public road is mind-numbing and represents a complete failure in state leadership at that time.

I remember when they first opened they posted the signs and started at like $3.00 and no one would use the road, so they dropped the prices to $1.50 and have been increasing them ever since.

The rates they charge are ridiculous and there is no legitimate alternative for many people. It has to be factored into decisions when looking at jobs in that corridor and represents a big black eye for the region.

$9 per day to come to work and back…outrageous, but I pay it because the alternatives add too much time to my 48 mile each way commute. And you’re right…I only know the amount because of checking on a website, not because it’s posted. In the fast toll lanes, you don’t ever see the amount you’re paying!

I refuse to use the Greenway or the Dulles toll road. I commute to Fairfax from CC and take either 50 or 7 to 28. I’ve seen the Dulles toll road backup many times at the Greenway heading east. I’ll be darned if I’m going to pay to sit in traffic.

If I recall, the Greenway was supposed to be toll free after it was paid for. So much for that promise.

Here’s what going to happen if they increase the already high fairs. More people will simply say “I’m not paying that” and dump onto 7 or 50, which are already boondoggles in the morning. As it is now, I get on the Greenway sometimes and don’t see a car in front or behind me.

Maybe the state should just emminent domain the whole road and open it up for free.

I’m not sure about the Greenway ever being free since it is a privately owned toll road. But the Dulles toll road was supposed to be free once it paid for its self. The tolls collected now are going toward paying to extend Metro out to Dulles airport. And they raised the tolls on it as well.

Mr. Wolf,
You have been voiceing concerns about this road for at least 5 to 8 years. When are you really going to get something constructive done. Like most politicans you speak loudly, but carry no more than a twigg. Most voters want action not the lip service we have been getting for so many years. The greenway has been over priced for a long time. I stopped using it about 6 years ago.

I drive from Clarke County to Sterling every day for work. 2 years ago when they raised the rates I figured out how much it cost per year and I stopped using the Greenway, turned in my speed pass and I use other roads, Rout 7 to Evergreen Mills to 606. It takes a few minutes longer but it saves me over $2,000 a year. It’s a little longer drive (only a couple miles) but in my fuel efficient car I know I’m still saving a ton of money. In the past 4+ years I have been driving down here my pay has not increased, owner says global rescission is to blame yet tolls on the greenway have risen along with the price of gas, oil in my car & car repairs. The aprox. $200 a month I save on driving the greenway goes towards fuel, and upkeep on my car and when it wears out that money saved will help with a new car payment. If people knew what that daily toll added up too in a year’s time there would be more of an outrage over the continuing toll increases. In my opinion its greed driven and the state of Virginia is failing us on transportation. Mr. Wolf come down and drive route 606 between Rout 50 and 28 at about 7:00 in the morning or back at 4:00 in the afternoon. IT’S A MESS. Drive from the Greenway on route 7 to rout 9 during rush hour and you will see what the “working man and woman” has to deal with every day. Our politicians have lost touch with the reality of the WORKING American. I SAY NO TO THE GREENWAY!!!! ITS WAY OVERPRICED!!!

If you are commuting to Washington, and drive 100 miles roundtrip, it is costing you the equivalent of $51.00 a day, $255.00 a week or $12,750.00 a year (two week holiday) in automobile expense. Add onto this your time to commute an extra 2.5 hours a day, at say $25 a hour, this adds another $15,625.00 to your cost of commuting.

Combined these and your costs of commuting to that DC job is $28,375.00 a year.